Watermelon basket, carving: video

Making a basket or vase from a watermelon does not require special skills. All that is needed is accuracy. Don’t chase complex shapes. Ideal for beginners, a simple basket with a handle or a round Chinese-style vase.

Try making a round Chinese basket vase. Choose a dark green watermelon. Wash the fruit thoroughly and rub it with a dry cloth, this will give the surface of the watermelon a shine. Cut off the top of the fruit and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh in the form of balls. Remove all seeds and use a sharp vegetable knife to cut out the white part of the flesh.

It is better to make a basket from a bright dark green or striped watermelon, it will look more impressive on the table

Draw a Japanese or Chinese character on paper, and then transfer the image to the surface of the watermelon, marking its outlines with a felt-tip pen. With a sharp knife, remove the colored part of the skin along the contour, carving a hieroglyph on the side of the watermelon. To make the finished bowl more stable, cut off the bottom of the fruit, making it flat.

Another container option is a basket with a handle. A round or elliptical fruit without spots, dents or damage is suitable for her. Wash it and rub it with a soft cloth. On the sides, mark the notches for the handles in the form of semicircles. Carefully cut them out with a sharp vegetable knife and remove the cut pieces. You will have a basket blank. Adjust the width and length of the handle as needed.

Use a spoon to scoop out the watermelon pulp. Cut it off the handle with a knife. The edges of the basket can be decorated with semicircular scallops, carefully cut out with a small knife. It is better not to touch the handle: if you accidentally cut it, the basket will be ruined.

The watermelon basket can be filled with an original fruit salad, for example, a mixture of melon pulp and watermelon with berries. Pour the unusual hot mint peanut butter sauce over the salad.

You will need: – 2 ready-made watermelon baskets; – the pulp of half a watermelon; – 2 small melons; – 450 g fresh strawberries; – 4 sprigs of fresh mint for decoration.

For the sauce: – 6 tablespoons of nut butter; – 1 tablespoon of wine vinegar; – 1 tablespoon lemon juice; – 2 tablespoons of finely chopped mint.

For salad, choose sweet large strawberries and fragrant varieties of melon, nutmeg is ideal

Cut the melons in half and remove the seeds. Use a rounded notch spoon to scoop out the flesh in the form of balls. Place them in a deep bowl. Remove the pulp from the watermelon in the same way. Carefully remove the seeds with the tip of a knife.

Wash and dry the strawberries, cut the berries in half. Arrange them over the watermelon and melon balls. Stir the salad. Place the watermelon baskets on small dishes and fill with the fruit mixture.

Prepare the sauce. Put the nut butter in a saucepan and heat over low heat. Add wine vinegar and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Chop fresh mint finely. Remove the saucepan from the heat and place the mint in it. Stir the sauce well and pour over the contents of the watermelon baskets. Garnish with fresh mint sprigs and serve immediately.